Explorations of a picturesque Flemish city famous for its canals and medieval buildings.
Bruges (or Brugge), Belgium just screams Old World charm. There are cobblestone streets, Flemish brick houses, canals, and well-preserved medieval buildings to be found here. Walking around Bruges makes you feel like you have stepped back in time and there is a reason for that.
Bruges seems like a fantasy and it kind of is.
Bruges was a medieval trading powerhouse. It lies at what was once a crossroads for the cloth trade, a huge business in medieval times. The city expanded rapidly, with over 125,000 residents by 1400, the same as today. Trade, however, shifted to nearby Antwerp in 1500 and the city began to decline.
Bruges found a new business in the late 19th century, tourism. The same reasons that bring tourists to Bruges today brought the Victorians, its unique charm and its outstanding medieval architecture. The decline in trading halted the city’s progress. Not many buildings were built after 1500. Bruges jumped into the tourism business headfirst. New constructions matched the old buildings. It is really hard to tell them apart, honestly. After 1965, tourism exploded. Residential and commercial buildings, along with historic monuments and churches, were restored to their medieval appearance. Today, Bruges embraces tourism, the industry that saved the city.
I arrived in Bruges after sunset. It was raining and there were not many streetlights. Honestly, it adds to the magic of the place.
This is the main commercial drag of the city center. It’s not as scenic here.
Although you get an inclining of what it’s going to be like fairly soon.
My first stop on this rainy day was St. Salvator Kathedral. It was undergoing restoration on the inside but still very lovely. The church is medieval but the fortress like tower was constructed in the 19th century.
A lovely white church. Most medieval cathedrals would have been white like this or painted on the inside.
This fantastic organ was installed in the early 1700s.
The stained-glass windows are absolutely stunning.
The next stop was the Church of our Lady, which is hard to get a photo of. It was also undergoing restoration. The tower is the highest structure in the city.
The Church of Our Lady is famous for being the home of one of Michelangelo’s sculptures, the Madonna and Child.
The nave was being restored, but I was able to see the main altar with its enormous painting. There are paintings like this one displayed all over the church.
Now on to more explorations. Now we see Sint-Janshospitaal (Old St. John’s Hospital), which I visited later, and finally some canals.
How adorable is this?
A little park with some swans along a canal. So lovely.
Now to the Begijnhof. This area was settled by a community of pious women before 1240. These were not nuns, but women, many noble, with property, that wanted more control of their lives. They never married and shut themselves off from society in their own little community.
These women lived communally, sharing duties and earning their own money. These communities were common in northern Europe and still survive today. Although this one is now used as a convent for Benedictines.
Just an awesome building. So much detail.
The canals are just so charming.
Just so very charming.
Bruges has countless bridges, but this was my favorite.
I love weeping willows. It would have been cool to see it before all the leaves fell off.
Now to the center of town and Bruges’ famous Belfry. I didn’t climb it, but you certainly can try.
This is a magnificent building.
This building is also magnificent.
This awesome church is Jerusalemkerk. It’s now a great museum about the family that built this privately owned church.
I loved the skulls and crossbones on the altar.
The floorplan is based after the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.
Now back to the center of town and the Burg where you find the Brugge stadhuis (town hall).
The stadhuis is full of neo-Gothic glory. Everyone was obsessed with Gothic in the 19th century.
Next to the Stadhuis is the Church of the Holy Blood, which has an amazing entrance.
And it is pretty elaborate on the inside as well. Although much of this was done in the 19th century.
Bruges is so amazing, it’s hard to fit it into one post. Even though I have already shared way too many photos already, here’s a few more. This city is so picturesque that I can’t help it.
Not much different that it would have appeared six centuries ago. Although the canal would have been full of boats and a lot more sewage.
I just can’t get over the amazingness of this city.
Bruges is just perfect for a wanderer like me.
Check out all my other posts in my Wandering series!
